Vietnam - North

So the day has arrived and we are leaving Australia for the last time. The flight to Kuala Lumpur was a strange one due to the fact it was empty and we all had a row of seats each. We had a good flight until we came to land and then the trouble started. There was a storm at the airport and after two attempts to land the Captain announced that we were now going to land in Singapore. I was really sick by now and felt awful, I just wanted to land. So we land at Singapore half an hour later and the plane had to refuel and then it took of again as the storm had passed. By the time we landed I was ill and never wanted to get back on a plane but a couple of hours later I was back on a plane to Hanoi. This flight was just over 3hrs and was a calm flight but I'm still hating flying at the moment.
We were met by our driver who drove us to our hotel. We were hot, tired and hungry by now but glad that when we arrived we found a lovely hotel waiting for us. The hotel is right in the hub of things with street markets all around. Plenty of cafes and shops to choose from also. We ventured out that night after a short nap just to buy some water and get something to eat. I'm sure Sally would eat from the street venders but I won't, so pizza it was for me.
We are just a short walk from Hoan Kien Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. Within the lake is the Temple of the Jade Mountain, you walk over a picturesque red bridge to get to the island. Up the far end of the lake is the Turtle Tower, Vietnamese people have 4 holy beasts which are the Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and the Phoenix. So in all the temples and monuments are reminders of their scared animals.
It is very hot today so we continuously stopped for drinks and a short rest as the heat is very draining. Next stop is Hoa Lo Prison or Hanoi Hilton as named by the US pilots that were imprisoned there during the war. Originally built by the French for political prisoners so the conditions were very harsh for them with many dying while there.
The Temple of Literature is thought to be the first university in the world, built by the King to educate his scholars.
The day of our Halong Bay trip and the coach picks us up at 8.30 and the journey takes 3 1/2hrs to get to the boat. The bay is beautiful and is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The V'Spirit boat is a traditional Vietnamese wooden boat with its two sails. We sail out into the bay for about an hour and then take the small tender to the island that has the huge Sung Sot Cave. The cave has 3 chambers and the last one is huge, one of the nicest caves I've been in. The crew had organised a sunset party on the deck and then after dinner we tried our hand at fishing for squid, but no luck.
Up early to watch the sunrise and they have a Tai Chi class on deck which I didn't do, I just sat and watched. After breakfast the tender takes us to a floating home where we use the kayaks for an hour. After kayaking we went for a swim, the water was very warm and I'm sure not clean enough to swim in but it has to be done. The floating home has one family that live there and never leave, they have a net in the water full of fish and a puppy dog that is not a pet. Seeing it a lot now in Vietnam, puppies for sale and have been told that 85% of Vietnamese eat dog meat.
Once back onboard we shower and then lunch is served while we head back to the port where our bus is waiting to take us back to Hanoi.
Once back in Hanoi we recheck in the the same hotel and sort our kit out before heading out for some dinner. Being Friday night a lot of the streets were closed to traffic while street artist perform and market traders sell their fake gear.
Up early for our coach pick up at 6.30am as we have a 5 1/2hr trip to the northern city of Sapa. Our coach was a normal size but had seats that lay flat into beds, very comfortable. We have wifi but not that good so just played games and read for the whole time, I tried to sleep but no joy. The mountain city is very poor with lots of village people that walk miles everyday to come into the city to hassle the tourists. We arrived around 1pm to a very busy place and straight away the mountain people zone into us as fresh meat to sell to. After lunch we put our boots on and head down into the valley to the village of Lao Chai. We are followed by some ladies from that village who chat away to us but also help us get down the muddy slopes. The walk was one of the best I've done, walking through paddy and corn fields. After walking for 4hrs we get to Lao Chai where we rest awhile and have a drink. We buy some brackets from the village ladies to say thanks for the help down. We walk through the town where our mini bus is waiting to take us back to Sapa. A well earned shower and a short rest before we have dinner and then a walk into the centre. I opted for for a 30 minute foot massage which only cost £3 and my legs and feet felt so much better after. Woke early as there is a lot of building work around the hotel and as we weren't being picked up until 9.45 we had breakfast and went for a walk. Our itinerary stated that we were going to be driven to CatCat village so I wore flip flops but our guide said we were walking for 7km which in the rain I cannot do in that foot wear. I ended up staying at the hotel while the rain fell heavily outside, it gave me the opportunity to catch up on my blog and photos. Later that afternoon we were back on the bus for the long journey back to Hanoi.
The next morning we headed to the Woman's Museum which was basically the history of Vietnamese woman and what they endured. We also went to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, we were unable to enter but the outside is a magnificent building with a huge area in front where the military do their parades. It rained very heavy today and we got soaked but due to it being so hot it was quite nice. This was our last day in Hanoi and was sad to leave as I really enjoyed myself here.
Our next stop is Hue and a 13 hour train journey in a 4 bed carriage. We started the journey with a gran mother and her two grand children but when I woke in the morning we were sharing our carriage with a father and his son. The train got into Hue at 9am and we were met by our driver who took us to the hotel but as it was so early we couldn't check in. We left our bags and went for a  walk for some breakfast. It's quite a small place on the Perfume River but just as lively and crazy as Hanoi. I have now been unwell for 5 days now and with a rough night on the train I stayed in the hotel room for the rest of the day. Ventured out that night for something to eat but just had a bowl of soup with some bread but still no better.
We had an early pick up that morning as we have a long day of visiting some tombs and a dragon boat river trip.
The first tomb we arrive at was Minh Mang who was a much loved King, his tomb was in a huge area and very magnificent. Khai Dinh tomb was kinda small as he was not a respected King due to the fact his people believed him to be gay. His tomb does suggest this as it was very colourful and decorated with gems and pottery from around the world. Tu Duc was another disliked King and his tomb was a bit of a dump compared the the others but it's the only one actually confirmed his body is in the tomb.
From there we were taken to a martial arts display and a village where they made incense sticks and hats. Now for another buffet lunch where I sat and ate water melon, I hate this food.
We are then taken to the Citadel where royal family lived but much of it was destroyed by the Americans in the war. Thien Mu Pagoda is a huge pagoda on the river bank where lots of Buddhist monks are trained and live. After along day we are finally on a dragon boat cruising up the Perfume River back to our hotel. Another exhausting day with the tour group, will be glad when tour is over and we decide what we visit and in what time span.